Central buffing and drawgear



June 7; 1932.

R. T. GLASCODINE CENTRAL BUFFING AND DRAWGEAR Filed NOV.29, 1929 Patented June 7, 1932 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE RICHARD THOMSON GLASCODINE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND CENTRAL BUFFING- AND DRAWGEAR Application filed November 29, 1929, Serial No. 410,558, and in Great Britain May 14, '1929.

This invention relates to central buffing and draw gear for railway vehicles carried by bogie trucks.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement of buffing and draw springs.

It has been heretofore usual to provide buffing and draw springs in association with the draw rod at the rear of the vehicle headstock between the headstock and the centre pivot pin of the bogie-truck supporting the corresponding end of the vehicle. The space available however is not always suflicient to enable sufficiently powerful buifing and draw springs to be provided.

According to the present invention bufling and draw springs located as heretofore usual between the said bogie centre pin and the vehicle headstock are associated with other butting and draw springs located at the rear of the said bogie centre pin, means being provided for so connecting the one arrangement of bufiing and draw springs to the other that i all the said buffing and draw springs function together when either bufiing or drawing. In this way it is possible to provide buifing and draw gear with springs adapted to give the resistance desirable under the heavy blow to which high capacity vehicles are subjected.

With advantage the buffing and draw spring arrangement located at the inner side of the headstock is combined with an additional buffer spring or springs located at the front of the headstock and so arranged as to come into action upon inward movement of the coupling head.

Preferably the springs employed are rubber springs namely springs consisting of concentric annular rings orframes of rubber moulded to metal plates that maintain the rubber rings the desired distance apart, metal dividing plates or rings being interposed between the several units of said spring. The highest efficiency will be obtained by using such known type of springs althoughthe invenconnected as by cross members and substantial connecting rods to a second draw rod located at the rear of thebogie centrepivot pin and each said draw rod has mounted tandem-wise thereon a, plurality of bufiing and a plurality of draw springs so associated with compression plates and abutment members that when buffing the buffing springs function in parallel and when drawing the draw springs likewise function in parallel; alternatively the arrangement of the sets of springs arranged tandem-wise around the draw rods may be so combined with intermediate pressure plates and sleeves that when either bufiing or drawing one spring or a certain number of the springs comes or come first into action after which all the springs are compressed in parallel.

Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing illustrates in sectional plan a construction of bulfing and draw gear embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1 illustrating another construction of the improved buffing and draw gear.

In the constructions illustrated all the springs are india-rubber springs of the kind before-mentioned.

Referring to the construction shown in Fig. 1, the draw rod 1 that is pivoted at 2 to the shank 3 of the coupler head at is connected by cross heads 5 and distance tie-rods 6 to a second draw rod 7 located axially at the rear of the bogie centre pivot 8. Each draw rod 1 and 7 has fitted thereon two india-rubber springs 9' and 10 located one in front of the other. The spring 9 of each set is located between a front compression plate 11 which normally bears on fixed abutments 12, and an intermediate compression plate 13. The spring of each set is arranged between an end compression plate 14; that normally bears on fixed abutments 15, and a compres- 10 is located between the sliding compression plate 13 and the compression plate 14 of the spring 10. As shown the sleeve 18 isformed in two parts, one part being formed in one with the compression plate 13 and the other part being formed'in one with the compres sion plate 14:.

The shank .3 of the coupler head abuts against the compression plate 11'and the arrangement is such that the inner spring 10 of each pair of springs comes into action firs when either bufiing or drawing until the parts of the sleeve 18 abut one against the other after which all the springs are compressed in parallel.

19 indicates an additional indie-rubber bufier spring located in a casing 20 at the front of the vehicle headstock. This spring is adapted to be compressed upon inward movement of the coupling head 4' through a compression plate 21 having an extension that projects forwardly from the fixed casing 20. The springs 10' which are first in action may be so designed as to be more sensitive to re sist relatively light loads than the other springs 9 which come into action later and the initial compression to which all the springs at the inner side of the headstock are subjected when normal may be so determined as to present any resistance desired and found suitable in practice.

*In the construction shown in Fig. 2, the draw rodl is fitted with two india-rubber springs 22 and the rear draw rod 7 which is connected to the draw rod 1 in like marrner to that already described with reference to Fig. 1, is fitted with a third india rubber spring 23. In this construction all the springs function in parallel from the start. Each spring is arranged between compression plates 23 that normally bear against fixed L: abutments 24- Between the adjacent compression plates 23 of the two springs 22 on the draw rod 1 a thrust-transmitting nut or collar 25'is fixed on the said draw rod.

The improved sprlng arrangement provides an efficient and satisfactory range wherein the resistance both in buifing and drawin is sensitive and yet capable of giving de nite movement under the heaviest loads.

VVhatI claim 'is:-

1. Central bufiing and draw gear for railway vehiclescarried upon bogie trucks, a coupler head, a draw rod to the front end of which the said coupler head is pivoted, a plurality of india-rubber bufiing and draw springs mounted tandem-wise on said draw rod, a second draw rod located axially in line with said first-mentioned draw rod but located at the rear of the centre pivot pin of a supporting bogie, means rigidly connecting together the two said draw rods and bridging the said centre pin, and a plurality of india-rubber bufling and draw springs mpiunted' tandem-wise on said second draw r0 2. Central bufiing and draw gear for railway vehicles carried upon bogie trucks, a coupler head, a draw rod to the front end of which said coupler head is pivoted, a plurality of india-rubbed springs arranged in sets tandem-wise around said draw rod, for each of said sets of springs a front pressure plate, a fixed abutm'ent'against which said front pressure plate bears when drawing, a rear pressure plate, a fixed abutment against which said rear pressure plate bears when buffing, an intermediate compression plate, a sleeve that transmits pressure to said intermediate compression plate after one spring of the said set has been compressed to a limited extent, a compression plate mounted to slide on said sleeve, a sleeve located between the said sliding compression plate and the said end pressure plate of the spring that first comesinto action, a second draw rod located axially in line with said first-mentioned draw rod but located at the rear of the centre pivot pin of a supporting bogie, means rigidly connecting together the two said draw rods and bridging the said centre pin, a plurality of indie-rubber springs arranged insets tandem-wise around said second draw rod, for

each of said last-mentioned sets of springs a front pressure plate, a fixed abutment against which said front pressure plate bears when drawing, a rear pressure plate, a fixed abutment against which said rear pressure plate bears when bufling,-an intermediate compression plate, a sleeve that transmits pressure to said intermediate compression plate after one spring of the said set has been compressed to a limited extent, a compression plate mounted to slide on said sleeve, and a sleeve located'between the said sliding compression plate and the said end pressure plate of the spring that first comes into action. i

' 3. Central bufiing and draw gear for railway vehicles carried upon bogie trucks, comprising a draw rod, pivoted to the coupler head shank, india-rubber springs mounted on said draw rod at the rear of the vehicle headstock and in front of the bogie centre said springs secured to the vehicle centre sills,

a second draw rod at the rear of said bogie centre pivot, india-rubber springs on said second draw rod, fixed front and rear abutments for said springs secured to the vehicle centre sills, and tie rods bridging said bogie centre pivot and connecting said draw rods to ensure the simultaneous operation of said front and rear springs when either bufling or drawing. a

4. Central bufiing and draw gear for railway vehicles carried upon bogie trucks, comprising a draw rod, pivoted to the coupler head shank, india-rubber springs mounted on said rod at the rear of the vehicle headstock and in front of the bogie centre pivot,

abutment plates for said springs floating on the draw rod, fixed front and rear abutments for said plates secured on the vehicle centre sills, a second draw rod at the rear of said bogie centre pivot, india-rubber springs on said draw rods, abutment plates for said springs floating on said draw rod, fixed front and rear abutments for said plates to the vehicle centre sills and tie rods bridging said bogie centre pivot and connecting said draw rods to ensure the simultaneous operation of said front and rear springs when either buffing or drawing.

5. Central bufliing and draw gear for railway vehicles carried upon bogie trucks comprising a draw rod pivoted to the coupler head shank, two sets of india-rubber springs mounted on said draw rod at the rear of the vehicle headstock and in front of the bogie centre pivot, fixed front, central, and rear abutments for said springs secured to the vehicle centre sills, a second draw rod at the rear of said bogie centre pivot, a set of india-rubber springs on said draw rod, fixed front and rear abutment-s for said set secured to the vehicle centre sills, and tie rods bridging the bogie centre pivot and conecting said draw rods whereby said three sets of india-rubber springs are simultaneously compressed in parallel when either buffing or drawing.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

RICHARD THOMSON GLASCODINE. 

